Hubcap for motor vehicle wheels



1942. c. J. GOESKE HUB CA P FOR MOTQR VEHICLE WHEELS Filed May 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug-4,1942- c. J. GOESKE. 2,291,597

HUB CAP FOR MOTOR VEHICLE WHEELS Filed May 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 41 ll gmmm Patented Au 4, 1942 UNITED STATE PATENT orrics HUBCAP FOB MOTOR VEHICLE WHEELS Charies I. Goeske, Henryetta, Okla- Application May 23, 1941, Se No. 394,915 3 Claims. (Cl. 301-108) This invention relates to a hub cap for motor vehicle wheels and may be shaped exteriorly to harmonize with varying designs of wheels or motor vehicle constructions and has the usual purpose of providing a neat and attractive appearance to the wheel by concealing from view the wheel hub and the securing means'of the wheel on the hub.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a hub cap of the above stated character which will be extremely easy to remove and replace and'will be positively secured against loss while in use on the wheel and be prevented from rattling and may be locked in place if desired to prevent the unauthorized removal of the wheel from the hub.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel I features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is aside elevation illustrating the'exterior appearance of the hub cap and showing a fragmentary portion of a motor vehicle wheel; the hub cap being constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating an interior view of the wheel hub cavity and the securing means for the wheel and showing the insert forming a portion of the present invention installed in the cavity.

Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating the interior of the cap.

Figure 4 is a side elevation illustrating the interior of the cap and its mounting.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing the means of positively locking the cap in place.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1 showing the means of latching the cap in place.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a fragmentary portion of a motor vehicle wheel and of a construction which is how frequently employed upon motor vehicles, including the usual hub cavity 6 and demountably secured in place by stud bolts 1' passing through the wheel and threaded in openings provided in the usual brake drum 0 carried by the wheel hub (not shown). The heads of the stud bolts are located within the cavity 6 of the wheel tion in relationto the adapter,

5 and present an unsightly appearance unless concealed from view by a hub cap 9 forming a closure for the cavity 6 of the wheel 5. Various means have been employed for mounting the hub caps on wheels of motor vehicles, a great many of suchmeans being very difficult to actuate for the removal and replacement of the cap besides not firmly securing the cap in place and against loss.

The present invention which includes a cap 9 and other features which will be hereinafter more fully described in detail eliminate any possibility of the cap being-lost and will permit said cap to be easily removed and replaced and when locked in position'on the wheel will prevent the unauthorized removal of the wheel owing to the pearance varied so as to harmonize with different designs of motor vehicle wheels without departing from the spirit of this invention. In order that the cap 9 be secured on the wheel- 5 in accordance with the present invention, an adapter i0 is employed. This adapter is located within the cavity 6 of the. wheel 5 and may be bolted or welded onto the wheel or removably secured on said wheel in accordance with the showing made in the drawings and which will be hereinafter fully described.

The adapter includes an annular band-like member ll provided with attaching arms II, the extremities of which are provided with openings I3 to'receive some of the stud bolts I, thereby removably mounting the adapter within the cavity Ii of the wheel 5. The arms l2 are curved, as clearly shown in Figure 5, to position the band-like member M of the adapter in close proximity to the mouth of the cavity. The bandlike member II has struck therefrom offsets it each of which is slightly ofiset from the plane of theband-like member and are employed for releasably securing the cap 9 onto the adapter.

.The cap 9 has an inwardly extending flange it on which is integrally formed a band-like flange 16 extending at an angle to the flange l5 and adapted to be received within the band-dike member ll of the adapter in. The band-like offset from. the plane of said flange l6 and adapted to lie in approximately the same plane of the offsets ll of the adapter it when the cap is in assembled position or brought into applying posithe offsets at this time acting as abutments ior limiting the movement of the cap in the direction of the wheel by the tongues i1 engaging the inner edges of the oil'sets ll.

In forming the offsets I in the adapter I! the member ll thereof has portions thereof cutaway, as shown at l3. and which extend for the full length of the offsets II and for a limited distance beyond one end of each offset so as to present cam faces it to be engaged by the tongues I! when the cap is rotated in one direction to bring the tongues l'l into overlapping relation with the member I I for releasably securing the cap on the adapter. The tongues ll riding against the cam' faces I! tend to draw the cap tightly onto the adapter and against the wheel I.

Figure 4 shows the tongues il in overlapping relation with the bend-like member ii of the adapter for releasably securing the cap on the wheel and also for flrmly securing the cap in place so that it may not rattle while in use on the wheel.

A portion of the band-like flange ii of the cap 8 is transversely and longitudinally slotted to provide a resilient catch 21. including a pin 2i and a lateral extension presenting a tool engagear 22 positioned in alignment with an opening 23 provided in the wall of the cap 9. The band-like member ii of the adapter III is providedwith a keeper opening 2| in which the pin of the catch moves when the tongues I! have been brought into overlapping relation with the band-like flange of the cap. The pin of the catch fitting within the keeper opening will prevent reverse rotation of the cap and consequently prevent its accidental removal from the wheel.

A conventional key-operated lock 23 is mount- I ed on the inner face of the cap 9 with the key opening thereof exposed to-view from the exterior of the cap by way of an opening 30 normally closed by a pivotally mounted dust plate 3|. The lock 23 further includes a slidable plunger 32 movable through the band-like flange it of the cap and is adapted to move into and out of a keeper slot 33 provided in the bandlike member ll oi'the adapter.

The lock 23 will prevent the unauthorized removal of the cap from the wheel and as the cap at this time cannot be removed it will be impossible to,gain access to the stud bolts 1 and consequently the wheel 5 cannot be removed by an unauthorized person from the motor vehicle.

The lock 23 is actuated by a key from the outside of the cap I for the purpose of retracting the plunger 32 from the keeper slot 33. After the plunger 32 has been moved into an unlocked or retracted position, a tool or instrument, indicated by the character 34, is inserted through the opening 23 of the cap I and against the ear 22 for flexing the catch 23 and thereby move the pin 2| thereof out of the keeper opening 24. The cap may then be rotated in a reverse direction to move the tongues i! from engagement with the band-like member of the adapter to bring said tongues opposite the oifsets l4 whence the cap may be withdrawn outwardly from the wheel.

It is to be understood that any number of 01!- sets il and cutouts may be provided in the adapterandthatthecapwillhaveanumberof of the adapter,

tongues in accordance with the number oi oi!- sets ll employed on. the adapter. Further, it is to be understood that the cap may be constructed of any material suitable for the purpose as well as the adapter.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of partsmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: v

1. In combination with a motor vehicle wheel having a hub cavity and fasteners for securing the wheel on a hub and located in the cavity, an adapter located in the hub cavity of said wheel, means on said adapter to receive the fasteners, said adapter including an annular bandlike member provided with cutout portions presenting cam faces and offsets acting as stops, 3. cap element for closing the cavity and having aband-like flange fitting within the band-like member of the adapter, and tongues struck from said flange to engage the stops and ride the cam faces for drawing the cap onto the wheel and the adapter and come to rest in overlapping relation with the flange for releasably securing the cap element on the adapter.

2. In combination with a motor vehicle wheel having a hub cavity and fasteners for securing the wheel on a hub and located'in the cavity, an adapter located in the hub cavity of said wheel, means on said adapter to receive the fasteners, said adapter including an annular band-like member provided with cutout portions presenting cam faces and offsets acting as stops, a cap element for closing the cavity and having a band'- like flange fltting within the band-dike member of the adapter, tongues struck from said flange to engage the stops and ride. the cam faces for drawing the cap onto the wheel and the adapter and come to rest in overlapping relation with the flange for releasably securing the cap element on the adapter, and a spring catch carried by the flange of the cap and engageable with the adapter.

8. In combination with a motor vehicle wheel having a hub cavity and fasteners for securing the wheel on a hub and located in thecavity, an adapter located in the hub cavity of said wheel, means on said adapter to receive the fasteners,

said adapter including an annular band-like' member provided with cutout portions presenting cam faces and offsets acting as stops, a cap element for closing the cavity and having a bandlike flange fltting within the band-like member tongues struck from said flange to engage the stops and ride the cam faces for drawing the cap onto the wheel and the adapter and come to rest in overlapping relation with the flange for releasably securing the cap element on the adapter, a spring catch struck from said flange of the cap and including an extension and a pin, said band-like member of the adapter having an opening to receive the pin, said cap having an opening to permit an instrument passed therethrough to engage the extension for flexing the catch to move the pin'out of the opening,

CHARLES J .GOESKE. 

